Verbs, Objects and Thanksgiving

Time for a little grammar lesson. I’m not an expert here, so I’m pulling in the smarts from the Cambridge Dictionary website:

Some verbs take two objects, a direct object and an indirect object.

The indirect object is the person or thing that receives the direct object.

The indirect object comes before the direct object.

When you give something, you can’t just give it. You give it to someone or something. You give your dog a treat. You give the keys to your roommate. You give a meal to a new mom.

Who is the indirect object when you give thanks?

Perhaps you give thanks to your parents for supporting you during a rough season.

You might give thanks to your friends for helping you celebrate life.

To whom do you give thanks for blessings not attributable to a person?

For your health?

For the great family into which you happened to be born?

When you give thanks for these things, consider the indirect object of your gift of thanks.

And I don’t think it really works or even means anything to anyone to give thanks to fate or natural selection. I’m pretty sure they don’t really care.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:29

There are so many verses in the Bible telling us to give thanks to the Lord, I had to almost just close my eyes and point to choose one to quote here.

If you’re thinking of spending yet another Thanksgiving in front of the football screen, giving thanks to fate for allowing you to have a large screen TV and a couple of friends to chill with, or if you’re going to spend it giving thanks to fate for allowing you to indulge in gluttony yet again, don’t.

Think for a moment about who might have given you those friends and that food, not because He just picked you at random to have a decent life, but because these things are part of His plan to lavish love on you – you – at this very time and in this very place.

And then give Him thanks.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hello! I'm Faith. I'm a verbal processor who wants to love the Lord and love people with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. I write to think and think to write. I don't drink coffee. I am a dogless dog lover. I enjoy hosting large parties in my home, and I enjoy being alone. Join me in looking to Him and pursuing A Radiant Face.